LUSAKA-Thursday, 30th May 2024
The Patriotic Front party has given Civil Society activist and Human Rights Commissioner, Laura Miti, five days to retract her malicious utterances and false allegations that the party was behind the abduction of Petauke Central Member of Parliament, Hon. Emmanuel JayJay Banda and was behind the gassing incidents in 2019.
In a strong worded letter written to Laura Miti by Deputy Secretary General, Hon. Nixon Chilangwa MP, the party has demanded for an apology for Laura's false allegations and malicious remarks against the Party and it's officials.
Laura wrote a piece titled "I'M INCREASINGLY OF THE VIEW THAT JAY JAY'S DISAPPEARANCE IS A PF SCHEME, LIKE THE GASSING" and circulated it widely on her social-media pages.
Chilangwa has recognized that Laura has an obsession and perchant to make dangerous and unfounded remarks against members of the Patriotic Front Party.
Chilangwa said this was driven by her clear bitter hatred against the Party as demonstrated by her dedicated writings against the Party.
Chilangwa has also stated that Laura was no longer qualified to hold the lofty and respected position of Human Rights Commissioner because of her habit to repeatedly ridicule and mock victims of human rights abuses in Zambia.
Chilangwa stated that Laura's remarks was causing a lot pain especially to the family of Hon. Banda.
Laura has been given five days to retract and apologize for her careless, defamatory and malicious remarks or face legal action.
Below is the full details of the letter by the Deputy Secretary General, Hon. Nixon Chilangwa MP written to Ms. Laura Miti.
Madam,
RE: "I'M INCREASINGLY OF THE VIEW THAT JAY JAY'S DISAPPEARANCE IS A PF SCHEME, LIKE THE GASSING" - LAURA MITI.
The attention of the leadership of the Patriotic Front has been drawn to an article which has lately been making rounds on the Social Media Platforms and attributed to you as the author. The article is titled: "I am increasingly of the view Jay Jay's disappearance is a PF scheme, just like the gassing."
We are of the view that your article does not show any empathy to the victim of the alleged abduction or to his family, an act we find inhuman and against the known cultural norms of us as a people in Zambia.
We note that in making this highly provocative and libelous statement, which is in fact a series of various similar statements you have made against the PF in the last five years or more, you had not bothered to make any reasonable enquiries or even elaborate investigation to establish the real circumstances that led to both the unfortunate gassing of innocent citizens and the abduction of Honourable Emmanuel Jay Banda.
Your quest to place blame on these misfortunes on PF and its leadership was motivated in our view by your unbridled hatred spite and lack of due consideration of the PF and its leadership, who have been victims of your repeated slurs and inconsiderate utterances as you pursue your desired victimization and vilification without any justifiable cause.
The leadership of the PF is particularly concerned that in your furtherance of the hate agenda you have against the Party, you remain heedless to the respectable role placed under your care as Human Rights Commissioner, in which you were appointed by the Republican President, and which appointment was made effective by the Parliamentary ratification process which benefited from the participation of the Members of Parliament sponsored to Parliament by PF
You may wish to note that as a member of the Human Rights Commission, a duty is placed on you to allow due process, respect the rights of citizens, refrain from the attacks you make on the PF and a higher duty to ensure that the Republican Constitution is respected and upheld in your dealings with fellow citizens.
While being minded to consider that you lack objectivity and capacity to appreciate the role being played by PF in the governance of the Country, We find your continued provocation and attacks on the PF as a Party and on its elected Members as its leaders
to be highly libelous and scandalous, defamatory and to be without any justifiable
cause.
In the premises, I write to demand for the immediate retraction of the above statement which retraction must be accompanied by an unconditional apology within five (5) days, failure to which we will be left with no other option but to take this matter to our Lawyers for purposes of seeking reliefs from the Courts of Law without further recourse to yourself.
As a party we stand for peace and respect for human rights. The Patriotic Front will not sit idle and let the name of the Party and all its gallant members of honor continue to be dragged in the mud in this fashion.
You should further note that we respect the work of the Human Rights Commission and what you have embarked on does not constitute any part of the Commission but a personal agenda inspired by hatred and a dislike of a particular person or a group. Please desist from such conduct.
By copy of this missive you are accordingly put to notice.